Reaching ELLs through Small Group Instruction

The longer I have been in education, the stronger I believe in small group instruction. It truly is the heart of instruction. In a small group, the ratio between student and teacher is drastically reduced allowing the teacher to identify individual student needs and easily differentiate instruction. 
No matter the content area in elementary school, small group instruction has a greater effect on student learning than whole group. 

Some may say that it's too difficult to pull small groups so they continue to instruct in a whole class setting. I agree that in the beginning it may be difficult to get the structure and routine down for both the teacher and the students; however, once good classroom management is put into place and the routines are set, the ball will get rolling and small group becomes the best way to teach. 

After all, as educators I think there aren't many who don't agree that we want to do what is best for students. While whole group instruction may be easiest for teachers to plan and implement, it can't be best for students who are diverse and unique--all at various levels with different background knowledge. 
Overall, most teachers are pretty good at pulling small groups for reading instruction in the primary grades. But even that seems to taper off around third grade. What we know is that when we gather a small group of roughly 4-6 students and give them what they specifically need at the moment greater progress occurs in language and in content knowledge. So why don't we continue to pull small groups as kids get older? And how about pulling them in other content areas such as math, science, and social studies? 
Some may wonder...What are the other kids doing while I pull a group? Won't they get off task? Well, that's up to you as the teacher.

The Benefits of Small Groups: 
For ELLs one of the other benefits of small group instruction is that it lowers the affective filter. You know that feeling of fear or anxiety when you are in a situation that is high stress? Well, English Language Learners can feel that anxiety in a whole group setting more than in a smaller setting. When everyone is waiting and all eyes are on you anticipating your response it can be intimidating. This feeling is amplified when you are new to the country, have an accent or need a great deal of support. 

When teachers meet with students in small groups, they are more apt to individualizing instruction and truly meeting students where they are. In a smaller setting, teachers are able to ask more questions to individual students which allows the students to interact more with the teacher. This also has an added benefit which is building the student teacher relationship. 

Another benefit of small groups is that students are given more opportunities to talk. When students are in a smaller setting, they feel freer to talk, ask questions and grapple with ideas. This allows them to think critically and negotiate for meaning while having academic discussions more openly. On the other hand, in a whole group setting, the teacher asks a question and one student responds while everyone else zones out. 

How Small Groups Work:

• Well, typically when a teacher wants to implement small group instruction the best way to do it is just to jump right in. First, start by delivering a mini-lesson to the whole group. This would include a message to the class that is vital for everyone to hear. Then divide the class up as necessary for a “workshop” style setting. By that I mean that a small group (about 4-6) of your students will come along with you while the remainder of the class will either work independently or they will work in centers. It’s best to keep the routine going for what the students do when they aren’t meeting with you in the small group. Either keep it at independent work or stick to centers. Consistency within your workshop will help to ensure that the students stay on task and are well managed.
• The most critical part will be setting up clear expectations for what the students are doing when they aren’t meeting with you. If you want your small group to run efficiently, you need to know that the rest of the class is doing something meaningful and effective (and not wasting time off task). In my experience, the best way to implement small group instruction, is to explicitly teach students what they do while I pull small groups. This does take time but it's well worth the investment. In most classrooms while the teacher pulls small groups, the other students are either in centers or working independently. Either way, the students know exactly what is expected of them. Don’t skip this part or your small groups and workshop will fail and you’ll be wondering what happened.
• Small groups can be determined by reading level, math skill level, language level, or a specific strategy need. And the way you decide can fluctuate. For example, in a math setting you may want to pull a group of students who have a similar math goal. They are all working towards learning to divide fractions. In reading, you may want to pull a group of students who are on different reading levels but all need to review finding the main idea of a nonfiction text. In a social studies or science setting, small groups may be about building background for students who are new to the country. Many newcomer students have a great deal of social studies or science knowledge about their home country but may need some information about their new country.  

Key Components of Small Group Instruction:

• Keep it short. 10-15 minutes per group.
• Make your group work engaging and heavy with kid work. Less teacher talk!
• When demonstrating, use texts and examples the students are familiar with. 
• Coach students in their own work. 
• Remember that the goal of small group is not 100% mastery. It may take a few times!

My advice to teachers who want what’s best for their students is to just do it! Go for small groups. You will see immediate results. Happier students, smarter students, and a more satisfied teacher. Don’t be afraid that you aren’t doing it right. Just start and learn from your experiences. Reflect and refine. 

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